The ABC's of Trip Planning, Pt 1- K is for Keeping Things Kooky- Drinks V-Z; pg. 197 + New Link

[pkondz]

We have another confirmed PeepFest Participant

That sounds like a Voyeur's convention.

Do I stay where I am and enjoy the proximity to EPCOT, or make my kids' dream resort a reality? It also gives the opportunity to surprise the kiddos some if I switch. HELP!!!

As much as I'd personally love to stay at one of the Epcot resorts...
If it's the kids' dream resort... I'd probably switch.
For that price, do it... and stay at an Epcot resort another trip.

 

[irene_dsc]

I've only been in AKL for our Boma dinner on our first trip. Personally, I thought it was amazing - although ds (then 6) thought it was weird. Probably because it was like nothing he had ever seen before. But, that's probably the deluxe that has tempted me the most. Although I do love the idea of being able to walk to Epcot, but I suspect the awesomness of AKL would win me over. Especially for $350 less.

 

[cinderkelly]

A 5 minute study break to announce:

1) We have another confirmed PeepFest Participant!! Tanya Thomas just booked her room and is pretty sure it's going to work out! It's a growing Party; watch out World!

2) Got an e-mail from Brook saying rooms are now open at AKL. For $350 less! I'M SO TORN!!!!!!!

Do I stay where I am and enjoy the proximity to EPCOT, or make my kids' dream resort a reality? It also gives the opportunity to surprise the kiddos some if I switch. HELP!!!

Wow that's a tough decision! FWIW, I'd probably switch to AKL, it's spectacular and the $350 savings to boot is pretty darn cool. That would totally help offset the cost of the train tour you want to take. For me the BW feels more "grown up", minus the creepy clown pool of course . Maybe save it for another time?

But you also have to take into consideration is the BW YOUR dream resort? This trip is to celebrate you and your achievements so you also need to get what you want. If making your kids dream resort a reality is something you want too then go for it!!

 

[Poolrat]

Guys, guys...you're killing me. He spelled it with 2 "n's", like some other people I know.

Good one.

Ok, I have to ask....on your dream Mickey's, Splain' what the "using the back door for the first time" one is all about, cuz my mind went somewhere else on that one!

Another Good one. I did have a chuckle when I read the Mickeyhead.

That is a Term of Endearment for the International Gateway in World Showcase. I've never used it before OR taken a Friendship to ANY of those resorts. I've meandered around the Boardwalk a bit (done JellyRolls and Beaches and Cream) but haven't spent much time there at all.

uh huh.... I was going to say you will time to explore the area. but the latest development may put a kink in that.

What's "Use the backdoor"?
Is that referring to going through Rainforest Café to enter AK?

As Liesa said - Nope that is the side door.

A 5 minute study break to announce:

1) We have another confirmed PeepFest Participant!! Tanya Thomas just booked her room and is pretty sure it's going to work out! It's a growing Party; watch out World!

2) Got an e-mail from Brook saying rooms are now open at AKL. For $350 less! I'M SO TORN!!!!!!!

Do I stay where I am and enjoy the proximity to EPCOT, or make my kids' dream resort a reality? It also gives the opportunity to surprise the kiddos some if I switch. HELP!!!

Well as other have said, $350 is a bunch of coin. It depends on if you intend to use the back door and the walk to DHS during that time or not. AKL does take you away and I do believe the buses are pretty good. What I do like at AKL is the message boards at the bus stop that tell you when the bus will arrive.

I logged in just to weigh in!

I am TOTALLY out of the loop but it sounds like you are mostly at AoA and then 3 nights at BW but now possibly at AKL instead of BW. $350 is a lot. For that, over $100 per night, I would likely switch. If you really plan all those 3 days to be at Epcot or DHS only and the gang is into F&W then yes, it could be absolutely lovely. But if you plan other parks during those days then I would just save the $$. AKL feels so "away" that it is just magical in it's own way.

Cynthia. Good "seeing"you! I agree with you.


GOOD LUCK LIESA!!!! All caught up.

 

[Flossbolna]

wow, so far this seems to be an unanimous vote for AKL... And even Cynthia came out to weigh in in favor of AKL!!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

1) We have another confirmed PeepFest Participant!! Tanya Thomas just booked her room and is pretty sure it's going to work out! It's a growing Party; watch out World!

Hooray! That's very cool.

2) Got an e-mail from Brook saying rooms are now open at AKL. For $350 less! I'M SO TORN!!!!!!!

Do I stay where I am and enjoy the proximity to EPCOT, or make my kids' dream resort a reality? It also gives the opportunity to surprise the kiddos some if I switch. HELP!!!

Well, you probably already know my vote. I'd take AKL over Boardwalk any day of the week and twice on Sunday. But I know the Boardwalk appeals to you more than me.

I am seriously toying with the idea of adding a Train Tour on top of MNSSHP. That'll make it easily possible.....

Well, one of my rules is always to get as much value for your money as possible. So this sounds like a great way to do that. You get a deluxe, thrill your kids, and get to do a train tour vs. having a nice room and a short walk to Epcot. That would make me lean towards AKL as well.

When I stayed in AKL, we thought being able to see animals in the savanna from our balcony was Disney magic at its best. I know I would not say the same about a view of a creepy clown face from my balcony. Some of the little side benefits at AKL, such as campfire stories, night-vision goggles, details in theming, CM's from Africa with interesting stories...those are pretty cool too.

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

I weigh in saving the dough for F&W!

And I saw the mention of Train Tour... I assume you mean the Behind the Steam Tour? I'm surprising the DF with it.. he got the surprise out of me and is super excited. I've seen NOTHING but glowing reviews on it even from non train enthusiasts.

 

[Steppesister]

P is for: A Perfectly Pleasing Permutation

I went this way and that way. And then I asked for a Life Line; a call to my friends. I turned myself around; that's what it's all about. Does it feel like this is the Resort Hokey Pokey? Or more like the Resort Hocus Pocus?

Either way, here's what it came down to:

1) AKL was the resort the kids wanted to stay at most of all. This is very well the last trip that the kids may go on that I pay for, and it'll be my great pleasure to treat them to this.

2) $350 is quite a chunk o' change! That'll pay for (3) $60 MNSSHP tix AND $162 for (3) tix to the Behind the Scenes Train Tour. And leaves $8.00 left over, which almost pays for a Horchata Marg in the Ditch. So you see, everyone wins. Ka-Ching!

3) As all who've chimed in and have stated, AKL is quite possibly the BEST resort to absolutely whisk one away to a completely different world. That's probably top the reason I keep going back to WDW over and over and over. No, we can't afford to rent the real estate where we can just peek over our balcony and have a giraffe lick our faces or have a zebra fart and be able to smell it, but there are plenty of places to seek out magic and that we will do. Not that a zebra fart is magical, but you get the idea.

4) I like to get as much bang for my buck as I can. I am a cheapskate at heart. Love it, or leave it. (That entire last line of thinking and writing kills me, because a trip to WDW in the first place is the perfect antithesis of taking a thrifty vacation.)

5) Realistically, although F&W IS a big reason we chose that as the alternate Home Away from Home, the reality is that we'll only be going into EPCOT a couple of times from there. I still have several "events" planned at The Boardwalk, so time will still be spent there! Definitely not going to avoid the area like I would like to avoid the people who Spam my FB wall with political opinions.

6) With a new career on the horizon, there will be many more trips to get dreamy-wishy about. Some solo, some girly-girl, some with friends I have yet to make. I can stay at other resorts along the way. And because I'm all nerdy-like, I am STILL able to hack 2 more off the Need-to-Stay-At List with AoA and AKL.

7) It keeps me all alphabetical-like. Although, maybe I should think about a triple-split and go with AoA, Boardwalk and Coronado. Just to mess with you all. And keep things in the ABCs theme and such.

8) I've heard conflicting stories about the bus service. We'll have to deal with that when the time comes, but really... for only 3 nights I'm willing to put up with crappy bus service.

9) This:

Thanks, Magdalene for this little piece of eye candy!

10) And lastly, it's a done deal. I called Brook and in a matter of hours we are now officially switched over to a Standard View at AKL. She has given me a ton of excellent suggestions for room/section requests, so I'll be researching that very soon!! I know it can be quite a hike through the cavernous hallways after a long day in the parks, so I'll take that into consideration as I do my sleuthing. Meantime, I'll anxiously and hopefully wait for public discounts to magically appear. Wouldn't it be wholly ironic if, in the end, I got a deeper discount for Boardwalk?!

 

[franandaj]

Who knows maybe you'll get one of those rooms with a reclassified view. You never know. But it is a magical resort!

 

[Flossbolna]

First of all, I am really happy with your decision! All in all, AKL is my favourite of all WDW resorts. It kind of started my obsession with WDW vacations and I have special memories of wonderful vacations there, including one with @nodnol and one with Michael.

I have often stayed in pool view rooms at AKL and never felt that I missed out too much of the animal viewing. There are so many places to see animals from! And it is fun to go out and explore the resort!

 

[afwdwfan]

1) AKL was the resort the kids wanted to stay at most of all. This is very well the last trip that the kids may go on that I pay for, and it'll be my great pleasure to treat them to this.

Definitely makes sense. I mean it is your trip, but it could be a special and memorable one from their point of view too!

2) $350 is quite a chunk o' change! That'll pay for (3) $60 MNSSHP tix AND $162 for (3) tix to the Behind the Scenes Train Tour. And leaves $8.00 left over, which almost pays for a Horchata Marg in the Ditch. So you see, everyone wins. Ka-Ching!

Money, especially that much, does make a difference.

No, we can't afford to rent the real estate where we can just peek over our balcony and have a giraffe lick our faces or have a zebra fart and be able to smell it, but there are plenty of places to seek out magic and that we will do. Not that a zebra fart is magical, but you get the idea.

Definitely not going to avoid the area like I would like to avoid the people who Spam my FB wall with political opinions.

It just takes 1 click...

It keeps me all alphabetical-like. Although, maybe I should think about a triple-split and go with AoA, Boardwalk and Coronado

Why not Caribbean Beach? Or better yet, Contemporary!

Meantime, I'll anxiously and hopefully wait for public discounts to magically appear. Wouldn't it be wholly ironic if, in the end, I got a deeper discount for Boardwalk?!

Now that you've struggled with this decision, this will most likely be how it plays out.

I think it looks like a good call though. I kind of stayed on the sidelines during your debate. I could see the merit in both and I figured if I didn't have a strong opinion one way or the other... well no point in helping keep the waters muddy.

 

[pkondz]

Does it feel like this is the Resort Hokey Pokey? Or more like the Resort Hocus Pocus?

Resortus tortoise.

No, we can't afford to rent the real estate where we can just peek over our balcony and have a giraffe lick our faces or have a zebra fart and be able to smell it, but there are plenty of places to seek out magic and that we will do. Not that a zebra fart is magical, but you get the idea.

Thank you for clarifying the status of zebra farts.

(That entire last line of thinking and writing kills me, because a trip to WDW in the first place is the perfect antithesis of taking a thrifty vacation.)

You're not kidding.
"Hey kids! Would you like to visit Rome, Paris, London and Berlin? A six week tour of Europe? Or... two days at Disney? (Value)"

Definitely not going to avoid the area like I would like to avoid the people who Spam my FB wall with political opinions.

That happens? Ugh. Wonderful.

7) It keeps me all alphabetical-like. Although, maybe I should think about a triple-split and go with AoA, Boardwalk and Coronado. Just to mess with you all. And keep things in the ABCs theme and such.

And lastly, it's a done deal. I called Brook and in a matter of hours we are now officially switched over to a Standard View at AKL.

Yay! But now we'll all change our opinions and tell you to switch back to Boardwalk.

Wouldn't it be wholly ironic if, in the end, I got a deeper discount for Boardwalk?!

It's almost inevitable now, isn't it.

 

[cinderkelly]

I dig your logic and am excited for you at making the switch!

I'm a chronic resort switcher and obsessive "must stay here" lister as well, so I totally get it! AKL is on my short list for a mom/daughter trip in 2017 ( what crazy person plans that far ahead? Well, me, obviously! ). So I am very excited for you to do some scouting and report how you liked it!

 

[Steppesister]

Replies later, but.......


Best Exam yet!!

 

[pkondz]

Replies later, but.......


Best Exam yet!!

All right!! Way to go Liesa!

C'mon everyone!
"Liesa! Liesa! Liesa! Liesa! Liesa!..."

 

[Flossbolna]

Replies later, but.......


Best Exam yet!!

 

[KathyM2]

WAhooooo!! Awesome on the exam...and the resort choice. So happy for you on both counts!

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[Steppesister]

Just got 2 points back! 96% ain't too bad!!!!

 

[Steppesister]

Have a great holiday! Only a little left before a much deserved Christmas break!

6 days to be exact!! I'm so excited to sleep in!

Liesa, I wish you a wonderful break over Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday with loved ones! And after that a lot of strength to get through the studying and exam! You deserve to do well and then have a fantastic Christmas break!

Whatever strength I had was apparently enough---- now just a bit more for that Final!

Nope, nope and... nope.
was there a holiday or something?

Har har! One more turkey happily consumed.

Or he was just really really scared.....




He pooped all over but saved the pee.? Good to hear he bounced right back.

Certainly a good guess! And yes, he was just a like a toddler in the car... poop all over, and having to go pee at every McDonalds along I-5.